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Chapter 38 - And into the Fire (CitC)
"We need to start moving south immediately." Clubbar remarked as he, Tubba, Parin, Aaron and plenty of Clubbas entered the Entrance Hall. The Entrance Hall was swarming with Clubbas, a sight Tubba thought he would never see again. As he let his eyes scan the various murals of Mycerinus and Mazette adorning the walls, he realized that Clubbar had never actually explained where the current Queen had gone. "Where's Mazette?" Tubba questioned, keeping his tone as casual as possible. He would like Mazette out of the way, but it appeared that Clubbar was working with her now, and that she wouldn't be an issue. As they stopped in the centre of the Entrance Hall, the majority of Clubbas behind them stopped as well. "We sent her to Boo Mansion. She's still technically Queen of this area, but we wanted her out of the way of the fighting, after Mycerinus died in the midst of it." Clubbar explained, gesturing at the various Clubbas to continue searching the area for any straggling Toads or Beans. "She reappointed me as soon as we got captured, so..." Tubba snorted. "She's not the sharpest club in the armory, is she?" Clubbar too, found a moment for a bitter laugh. "Not at all. But she's the Queen, and I vowed to serve the monarchy." The elderly Clubba looked around awkwardly after he spoke, as if looking for eavesdroppers. Fortunately, since all the Clubbas were preoccupied with either supporting weaker ones, checking for stragglers or preparing for battle, only Parin, Aaron and Tubba heard. "Hey, Clubbar," Tubba began, a thought occurring to him. "I know we have to move south immediately, but could you show me something first?" * Tubba had Clubbar take him behind the Castle. While Kings were buried in grand, magnificent tombs underground, many commoners and soldiers were buried in hastily dug, cheap graves behind the Castle, most of them with a headstone or an epitaph detailing their life. The graveyard had been present in the Clubba Kingdoms since the days of the first Clubba Castle - the collapse of the first Clubba Castle was why ''the graveyard was made on the same spot. The oldest graves were in the centre of the complex, merely black stones sticking out of the yellow sands, weathered by the winds of time. The newer graves were in all four directions around the oldest ones, ranging from the same, tiny black stones, to large, red stone monuments, even life-size statutes. Parin and Aaron had been left behind, overseeing the boarding of various Clubbas to the hijacked airships. The Koopan airships had hovered to the side of Forever Forest, barely visible across the sands. Xavier had radioed in to the newly instated Clubba communications just as they were leaving the Castle. Apparently, the battlers still aboard the airships had threatened "disposal" of the various hostages on their ships, unless the Koopas backed off to the edge of Forever Forest, at the bottom of the Gulch. The grave Tubba and Clubbar were searching for was just about ten years old. Clubbar told him it had been marked with a polished diorite headstone when the Clubba had been placed in it not long after Tubba left for the SS Mahruav. It did not take long to find it, swerving past the newest graves, finding it slightly to the left of the centre of the grave complex. It was a small headstone that required Tubba to crouch down to read. The sun was beginning to dip down to the horizon, giving the entire graveyard an scarlet red glow. Tubba thought it was fitting, considering the mode of death this Clubba had. The engraved headstone read, in large letters: BUBBA CLUBBITH. B. 1991 D. 2006. Underneath that was another, smaller line: A LIFE TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT. It took Tubba a few seconds to read it. However, he continued to read it over and over, guilt welling in his throat This was his fault. A moment of rage and he made a decision that would define his life. A moment of rage and he had ended another life. "I'm sorry." Tubba choked out, placing a hand on the top of the headstone. For all Bubba had done to him, killing him was something that had haunted Tubba for years. Maybe now, having visited his grave and said his apologies, he would be able to be at peace with himself. "Aw, you're sorry about being a murderer?" A harsh voice cut in from in front of the tombstone. Leaping to his feet, Karubba's club at the ready, Tubba saw that a few tombstones away, having snuck up on them unnoticed, was the light blue Clubbette, the setting sun turning her hair orange, her pink lips spread in a wide smile, club in readiness of battle. "Clubbette! You're supposed to back off! I know you're in the league with Ludwig!" Tubba snarled, vaulting over Bubba's tombstone. Now only five small tombstones about crouching height separated him and Clubbette. Clubbete's smile, if possible, grew even wider as she gripped her club tightly. "Putting an awful lot by the word of the Gonzales, aren't you, Tubba?" Tubba recoiled, panic lancing through him. He had not been expecting this. Clubbette was more informed than he thought "Someone told you the plan, didn't they? Under the impression you didn't know?" Fury was beginning to pound into him; it didn't matter she knew the plan, he just had to finish her. Karubba's club felt like his feather in his hand, as he wished nothing more than to fly at her. "Lukki. Such a good teammate, isn't he?" Clubbette said loftily. "But he only told me your pitiful plan. It didn't take much guessing to figure out what ''spurned the plan, though." "Well, what did?" Tubba said furiously, dropping into a low crouch. He needed to find out more, so he had to control his pounding rage. Clubbette smiled, as if she was merely amused. But deep within her eyes, hatred boiled. This was more than just a skirmish between half-siblings. "The day at the mountain. Gonzales guessed all correctly: I wanted all three of you out of the way, for Ludwig. He then proceeded to mention that Ludwig wanted the Clubba Kingdom." "How do you know all this?" Tubba tried to sound furious, but his voice came out laced with fear. Well, now she knows you're worried. Perfect. "''How? ''How?" He pressed, letting more anger seep into his voice when it appeared Clubbette had no intention of answering. Clubbette took the club from off her shoulder and leant on it, taking her time before her response. "You should really choose better methods of talking to your friends. Anyone can eavesdrop." "At least Tubba can get a job done, Clubbette." Clubbar spoke for the first time, making Tubba jump. He had forgotten that the elderly Clubba had accompanied him to the graves upon seeing Clubbette. "You are unable to. A plan is worth nothing without execution." Clubbar closed his mouth and gave Tubba a tiny nod. Tubba understood. This was his battle. Clubbar would not get in his way. Besides, Tubba was extremely confident. When it did come to battle, he would ''beat Clubbette. Tubba felt his panic drain away, to be replaced by hardened determination. "I can finish a plan anytime, Clubbar." Clubbette snorted, "it's not my fault people get in my way. Like you. Like Tubba. Like the Clubba Kingdom. I don't even need Ludwig to beat Tubba. Chubba can attest to that." "So Ludwig doesn't know?" Tubba sifted the ground beneath his feet like a bull about to charge. If Ludwig was not aware of his plan, perhaps they still had a chance. All he had to do was beat Clubbette. "I can hear the desperation in your voice." Clubbette scoffed, examining the scales on her fingers. "And unfortunately, you're out of luck," she smirked, gazing at Tubba from over her fingers. "Ludwig decided to let your pitiful plan play out. To let you hijack the airships. To let you reclaim the Clubba Castle." "So what?!" Tubba snarled, trying to keep his voice strong. Truthfully, he had listened to what Clubbette had said with a steadily falling heart, but there was no way he would let her know that. "So what?" Clubbette laughed, "''so what? Well, I'll tell you what," she growled, "you think Ludwig would just let ''you hostage his siblings? You think you could get away with this?" Shaking her head, she grinned, "you're in for a nasty surprise. Enjoy!" As she spoke, the scarlet sun was covered by large, ominous, black clouds. An eerie gloom descended on the battlefield, the thick clouds blocking out any means of natural sunlight. An earsplitting crack of thunder punctuated her last words, causing Tubba to spin around in horror. Above the Clubban airships, thick bolts of white lightning split the sky, striking each airship. With another crack simultaneous with a flash of lightning above the three Koopan airships hovering over Forever Forest, the clouds above the airships began to dissipate, yet the gloom over the battlefield remained, for the west sky was blocked by a wall of clouds. "Harnessing lightning storms. Basic useage of electric powers. Shooting electricity from your fingers. A more skilled useage," Clubbette said, and then she cackled superciliously: "Creating lightning storms? Teleporting? That takes some serious skills. But lightning storms that teleport? Only one person can do that." The rage Tubba had held back was now rushing over him. There was no more time for talk. It was time to begin the battle, and defeat Clubbette once and for all. "Enough talk. Let's do this." Turning back to Clubbette after seeing the Koopan airships begin to fly toward the Clubba Castle, Tubba braced for battle. If he could only defeat her quickly enough... "But wait!" Clubbette snapped, dropping into a battle crouch as well. "Did Gonzales explain ''why ''I'm working with Ludwig? Why I want this Kingdom gone?" Without waiting for a response, she ploughed on. "This Kingdom destroyed me from birth! I am no less than either you or Chubba, yet I was exiled to the Waffle Kingdom because of our father! Under the Koopa Kingdom, I will finally get the position I deserve! Mazette and I will take this sub-Kingdom to new heights together! I am no less than either of you! But I don't need ''you! You all ruined me!" "Being all bitter and resentful because of attention is ''my ''thing," Tubba shot back. He hadn't listened too intently to Clubbette's speech, for all he cared about was the battle at hand. "Let's finish this."